Updated November 29th, 2023
Many people suffer from cold toes and feet while skiing. It’s difficult to enjoy skiing and being in the snow with a constant feeling of cold in your ski boots. There are many toe and feet warmers to help with cold feet and toes while skiing. If this sounds like a good idea than we are here to help with our review of the best toe warmers for skiing.
Toe warmers and feet warmers are a great solution. They come in both chemical and electrical forms to help warm your feet and toes. Both can provide hours of warmth to help get you through an entire day of skiing without cold toes.
Below are some of the best options for keeping your toes warm in your ski boots. We looked at both chemical and electrical solutions for warming up your feet.
The 6 Best Toe Warmers For Skiing Of 2024
Chemical Toe Warmers
- TOP PICK: HotHands Toe Warmers
- BEST INSOLE WARMER: HotHands Insole Warmers
Electric Toe Warmers
- TOP PICK: Hotronic Universal S4+
- BEST HEATED SOCK: Venustas Heated Socks
- BEST VALUE: Thermup Electric Heated Insoles
Ski Boot Dryers
- BEST BOOT DRYER: DryGuy Travel Dry DX
Chemical Toe Warmers
Chemical toe warmers have been around forever and they work great. They are similar to a chemical hand warmer except they go on your feet as a foot warmer. They are a small pouch of chemicals with an adhesive strip. You put them under your toes inside your ski boot. The adhesive strip keeps them in place.
The chemical reaction works with the air. There is enough airflow in your boots for them to work. They last 8 to 9 hours which will last an entire ski day.
They are small enough to be not that noticeable under your toes when in your boots. Do not wear them on top of your toes where they will be directly under your buckle. Any wrinkle created by them can cause a pinch or loss of circulation.
1. Top Pick – HotHands Toe Warmers
- SAFE, NATURAL LONG-LASTING HEAT – Odorless, Disposable, Single-Use Item, Do Not Apply Directly to The Skin. TSA Approved.
- TO ACTIVATE – Remove warmer from outer package, shake to activate. Warmer heats up in 15-30 minutes. If heat decreases, expose warmer to air and shake.
- MULTIPURPOSE WARMERS – Single use air-activated heat packs that provide everyday warmth and are ideal for keeping your body warm when the temperature gets cold.
The HotHands Toe Warmers are the classic stick to your sock toe warmer. You shake to activate them and then stick them to your sock using their adhesive patch. They are good for up to 8 hours of heat. A single pair should get you through most days of skiing.
These can get very hot and should not be applied directly to your skin. They will heat the inside of your ski boot through your sock. They are effective enough to keep your feet warm through almost any cold ski day.
These come in a 40 box. They are also available in smaller and larger amounts depending on how often you go skiing. They are TSA approved so you can bring them along in your carry on bag or in your checked bag.
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2. Best Insole Warmer – HotHands Insole Foot Warmers
- SAFE, NATURAL LONG-LASTING HEAT – Odorless, Disposable, Single-Use Item, Do Not Apply Directly to The Skin. TSA Approved.
- TO ACTIVATE – Remove warmer from outer package, shake to activate. Warmer heats up in 15-30 minutes. If heat decreases, expose warmer to air and shake.
- MULTIPURPOSE WARMERS – Single use air-activated heat packs that provide everyday warmth and are ideal for keeping your body warm when the temperature gets cold.
The HotHands Insole Foot Warmers are a chemical heater that heats the entire bottom of your foot. These are similar to the toe warmers except they cover more of your foot.
They work the same way. Shake and then attach them to the bottom of your ski sock. They are good for 9 hours. Like toe warmers, they should be attached to your ski sock and not directly to the bottom of your feet.
These are good for people who tend to have cold feeling feet and not just cold feeling toes. They do an effective job keeping your feet warm for an entire ski day.
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Electric Toe Warmers
Chemical toe warmers work great. Some people don’t like the idea of putting chemicals, no matter how safe they claim to be, in their boots. Some people can’t stand the small lump under their toes that chemical warmers create. Another great option for warming up your toes in your ski boots are electric boot heaters.
These can either be a heated insole in your boot or heated ski socks themselves. In both cases, heating elements are on or under your feet. The batteries stay around your legs above your ski boot. These work well with custom insoles and orthotics as well as generic insoles. See our review of heated insoles for ski boots for more information.
3. Top Pick – Hotronic Universal S4+ FootWarmer Kit
- Powered by high capacity batteries developed by Hotronic
- Temperature and duration depends upon settings and climate. Range from 2.5 hours up to 21 hours of heat
- Ideal for any outdoor activities. Increase your comfort to enjoy the outdoors longer
- New, improved switch design with raised surface prevents turning off
The Hotronic Universal S4+ FootWarmer kit can be installed in any ski boot. It is one of the most popular ski boot warmers available today. It is the best option for those who want a warm heated insole as well as custom orthotic insoles. It comes in 2 versions. With and without insoles. The universal kit includes 2 heating elements, 2 batteries, a charger, and 2 insoles. It is very easy and quick to install boot warmer.
For those who use custom orthotics or other shaped insoles, you can buy the version that doesn’t include insoles and use your own. The heating elements can be installed into any insole by either sticking it to the top of the insole or cutting a groove for it.
The heating element is effective and the batteries last long enough to make it through an entire day of skiing.
They sell a few accessories to go with this. One of the more useful ones is a bracket to attach to your ski boot that holes the batteries. Otherwise, they are floating around above your boot in your ski pants.
The wiring on this ski boot heater is not quite as durable as we would like. You need to take care with the connectors. The good thing is that most parts of this system are available separately.
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4. Best Heated Ski Sock – Venustas Heated Socks
- Up to 11 hours of runtime with two 2000mAh 7.4V batteries
- Crafted with Coolmax material for exceptional moisture-wicking properties.
- The heating element covers the entire sole to ensure even and uniform heating throughout the footbed.
- 3 adjustable temperature settings
The Venustas Heated Socks are another option for keeping your toes warm in your ski boots. They are electric heated socks with a heating element under your insole to keep your feet from getting cold.
The socks are long enough that most people won’t have problems with the batteries interfering with the boot. They will heat for several hours to help you make it through your ski day.
The socks are made with durable materials and a terrycloth liner for comfort. The downside is that they can only be hand washed or dry cleaned because of the electronics. Putting them in a washing machine will damage the electronics even with the battery removed.
Review coming soon
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Use our discount code ERO15 to get 15% off at VenustasOfficial.com
5. Best Value – Thermrup Electric Heated Insoles
- APP controlled heated insoles with rubber heating element, large heating surface, even heat distribution.
- Battery operated with 3-stage heat regulator. Power: 7.4V, up to 8W / DC
- Thickness: 6mm, size: 35-48 (suitable size can be cut to size), cable length: 70 cm, washable (hand and machine)
- APP “Thermrup Smart Heat Duo”: Both heating elements are controlled at the same time. The current charge status of the batteries is displayed. Simply switch the heating product on of off with the APP.
The Thermrup Electric Heated Insoles are a low cost solution to making heated ski boots. They are a insoles with a built in heating pad with an external battery that gets strapped around your leg above your boot.
They are good for 5 or more hours on medium or low setting which most people thought was warm enough for skiing. It takes about 2 hours to recharge.
This install by cutting the insole to your correct shoe size and then installing in your boots. These are very basic flat insoles a few mm thick similar to what most ski boots come with. If like me, you need more arch support and ski with shaped insoles these aren’t a solution for you.
These are an effective solution to keeping your feet warm at a much lower cost than other ski boot heating options.
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Ski Boot Dryers
Something that will help keep your toes warm during your ski day is starting the day with warm, dry boots. If your boots are still damp and cold from the day before, you are going to have cold feet that day no matter what you do. Do whatever you can to make sure they are dry for the next day. A boot dryer can help you with this. It will circulate heated air inside your boot drying it out overnight while you sleep.
6. Best Boot Dryer – DryGuy Travel Dry DX Boot Dryer
- Portable boot dryer and shoe dryer combines traditional convection drying with forced air
- Hybrid forced air and convection system heats to 99 degrees to dry footwear in less time than it takes most other portable dryers
- AC/DC power adaptor means it can be used at home or in the car; compact design packs easily in carry on luggage
- Ability to work from the car makes it the perfect travel accessory for any outdoor vacation
The DryGuy Travel Dry DX Boot Dryer will help you start the day with dry warm boots. This boot dryer is compact and can run off of 120volt house power or a 12 volt supply from your car.
It is perfect for taking on trips or giving your boots a little extra dry on the way to the slopes. It creates a small heated airflow down in your boots that helps circulate air and dry them out. It works best if you can leave it running in your boots overnight for several hours.
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Toe Warmers For Skiing FAQ
Q: Where do you put toe warmers on ski boots?
Toe warmers such as the Hothands Chemical Toe warmers should be placed under your toes. They should be stuck to the bottom of your ski sock before sliding your boot into your ski boot. They should not be stuck to the top of your ski boot. The below video shows how to attach a toe warmer to your ski sock.
Q: How do you install boot heaters in ski boots?
The below video shows how to install boot heaters such as those sold by Hotronic in your ski boots. The quick answer is that you remove the footbeds from your ski boot liner and replace them with heated insoles add heating elements to your existing footbeds.
Q: How do I keep my feet from getting cold while skiing?
There are a few things you can do to help keep from getting cold feet and toes while skiing. Here are a few:
- Get a good pair of ski socks such as those by Hot Chilly’s or Smartwool.
- Do not wear socks that are too thick
- Do not wear socks with seams in the toes
- Eat enough before skiing
- Use toe warmers
- Use boot heaters
- Do not tighten your boots so tight they cut off your foot circulation
- Put a ski boot glove over top of your ski boots for some extra insulation
- Consider using disposable hand warmers or adding a few more layers. If the rest of your body isn’t warm, your feet won’t be either.
Q: Why do my feet go numb in my ski boots?
There are a few things that can cut off your circulation inside your ski boots. The first obvious one is buckling your boots too tight. The next one is wearing socks that are too thick. You will need to tighten your buckles more to squeeze the extra thick socks which can cut off your circulation. A thicker sock doesn’t equal a warmer sock. Don’t put anything inside of your ski boot but your ski socks. Any seams or edges inside your boot create pressure points when you buckle up. Pressure points lead to cut off circulation.
Get a good pair of ski socks that are thin, seamless and made from a good material such as merino wool. They also act as a compression sock. Your feet will thank you when you don’t have freezing toes.
Q: Does wearing 2 pairs of socks keep your feet warmer?
You should never wear 2 pairs of socks while you are skiing. It will not help you have warm feet. Without fail you will have a wrinkle or fold somewhere within the 2 pairs of socks inside your boot. This will cause a pressure point that will cut off your circulation. If that doesn’t happen, you will tighten your boots tighter on the extra sock thickness. This will also lead to reduced circulation and numbness. It is darn tough to have warm feet when they keep going numb.
One pair of good thermal socks is enough. If it is not consider adding boot heaters to your ski boots or electric foot warmer socks.
Q: Is it better to wear thin or thick socks?
It is best to wear a good pair of ski socks. These socks do not have any seams on the toes. They are made out of nylon and wool and other synthetic materials. They are designed to provide good insulation without being too thick. You should not wear big thick heavy wool socks. These aren’t made to be clamped around your feet in ski boots. They are too thick and have lots of seams.
You might also like:
- The Best Heated Insoles For Ski Boots
- The Best Heated Ski Gloves Helpful Guide
- The Best Neck Gaiters For Skiing Helpful Guide
Kate Ryan
Co-Founder & Editor
Kate is from Taiwan and came to the US after meeting her husband Doug. She has degrees in Fashion Design, Sales, and Marketing. The first thing we did her first winter here was go straight to the mountains and start ski lessons. These days she is an expert black diamond skier and waits for no one at the bottom. She also loves hiking and biking. She comes from Taiwan where people ride scooters way more than cars. She would rather bike or scooter and only drives when she absolutely has to.
kate@adventuregearinsider.com
